Printing plate holder



April 24, 1934- s. J. Rol-:SNER 1,955,933

PRINT ING PLATE HOLDER Filed Oct. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Bl 7- 2Q ,"V -l e? April 24, 1934. s, J, RoEsNER RINTING PLATE HOLDER Filed Oct. 6, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIWIIIIIIIII -Patented Apr. Z4, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE 19 Claims.

This invention relates to the general art of printing, and has reference more particularly to a device commonly known as a printing plate holder, by which electrotypes and other solid printing plates are securely attached to a ilat or cylindrical base of the printing press.

These bases are commonly formed with diagonal undercut channels or grooves, and the electrotype or other printing plate is secured 1,9 thereon by means cf register hooks or plate holders, of which a great variety have been used, and a much greater variety proposed and disclosed in existing patents and publications.

Despite the large inventive effort that has been directed toward this subject matter, the

problem of a thoroughly practical and eiiicient printing plate holder has never,.to my knowledge,

been successfully solved. Many proposed solutions are too complicated and expensive to meet 2p, with ready acceptance by the trade, while others are unreliable and inefficient in service.

The main object of the present invention has been to produce a printers plate holder that would be of very simple structure, low in cost,

'25. and thoroughly reliable in action. Another object has been to provide an article of this character which can readily be entered into and withdrawn from the channels of the bed through the open side of the channel. This is of con- '39 siderable importance, since many cylinder beds are so made thatthe ends of the channels are closed by rings or bands, making it impossible to. enter the plate holders through the ends of the channels.

In its broad aspect, the plate holder of my present invention comprises, in combination, an apertured clamp plate formed with the usual beveled edge that overlaps a correspondingly beveled edge of the plate to be held, a pair of olp-\ posed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy `a channel of the base and having a combined thickness permitting their insertion and Withdrawal through the open top of the channel, and means for expanding said blocks against the side walls of the channel, the expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of the clamp plate. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated several speciiically diiering forms in which this principle may be embodied, and referring to the drawings- Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of a printing bed (either flat or cylindrical) and a block or plate mounted thereon by means of (Cl. 10i-387) plate holders of the form detailed in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the plate holder and a fragment of the bed on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. 60

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional View, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the holder. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Y 65 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the anchor blocks.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are views corresponding to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, respectively, of another form of 7 the invention.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a Wedge member; and Fig. 11 a nut therefor, forming parts of the plate holder shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

Figs. l2, 13 and 14 are views corresponding respectively to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, showing still an- 75 other form of plate holder.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a wedge member forming one of the parts of the structure shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14.

In the drawings, 20 may designate the bed, 80, which may be either flat or a cylindrical surface. This bed is equippedwith the customary undercut channels or grooves 21, herein shown as of dove-tail form in cross section. The bed is customarily equipped with a large number of longitudinal and transverse lines which form guides for the correct positioning of the printing block 22 on the bed.

Describing first the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, 23 designates a 90' rectangular clamp plate of customary form having a beveled longitudinal edge 23' that cooperates with a correspondingly beveled edge 22 of the plate 22. This clamp plate 23 has a central hole consisting, in the instance shown, of a lower cylindrical portion 24 and an upper beveled or. Haring portion 25. Within the channel 21 are a pair of opposed anchor blocks 26. 'Ihese blocks are hinged to each other at their top edges by means of suitably bent Wire pintles 27 (Fig. 5) 100 engaged with suitably shaped holes 28 (Fig. 6), which permit the anchor blocks 26 to be collapsed into contact with each other for insertion and Withdrawal through the open side of the bed channel, or spread or expanded against the side walls of the channel 21, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The inner Walls of these anchor blocks 26 are formed with central transverse grooves 29, the lower portions of which are longitudinally tapered and threaded, as best shown at 30 in Figs. 110

2 and 31 The upper ends of said grooves are preferably formed with internal shoulders 31 for a purpose later explained.

32 designates as an entirety a screw adapted to be passed through the aperture of the clamp plate and formed with a tapered head 33 and a cylindrical neck portion 34 adapted to have a tight t with the countersunk hole of the clamp plate, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The screw is also formed with a threaded lower end portion 35 that engages with the tapered threaded portions 30 of the channels 29.

Preferably, and as herein shown, the two anchor blocks 26, after having been entered in the channel of the bed, are spread or expanded into contact with the side walls of the channel by a pair of light thrust springs 36 located crosswise of the blocks and at their ends seated in holes 37 in the inner faces of the blocks.

The screw 32 having been engaged with the clamp plate, the two anchor blocks 26 are then applied to the stem of the screw and, with the lsprings 36 in place, are united by the pintles 27, the threaded lower end 35 of the screw being above and out of engagement with the threaded portions of the anchor blocks. In this position of the parts, the anchor blocks can be compressed between the thumb and iinger and entered in the channel through the open top side of the latter. As soon as they are thus entered, the springs 36 expand them into contact with the side walls of the channel, so that the assembly can then be pushed lengthwise of the channel until the beveled edge 23 of the clamp block engages with the beveled edge 22 of the plate 22, making it unnecessary to hold the clamp plate in position while turning down the screw. The screw is then turned down, carrying the threaded lower end 35 of the screw into engagement with the threaded walls of the anchor blocks. This expands the anchor blocks into tight engagement with the side walls of the channel, and at the same time draws the head and neck of the screw down hard into engagement with the counter-sunk hole of the clamp plate, whereby the latter is securely locked in engagement with the plate 22.

As shown in Fig. 6, the outer walls of the anchor blocks 26 are knurled, as by diagonal cross cutting, which has two advantages. VIn the rst place, it gives the surface of the anchor block a better grip on the wall of the groove, and, in the second place, it acts as a cleaner for ink that occasionally gets into and adheres to the walls of the groove, since, by sliding the block lengthwise through the groove, the knurled surfaces tend to scour oi the ink.

In the practical use of the device above described I have observed that the operative, in order to obtain as tight a fit as possible on the clamp plate on the printing plate, hammers the ends of the anchor blocks, and this forms small inwardly projecting ns on the inner corners of the anchor blocks that interfere with the complete collapsing of the blocks necessary for their insertion and withdrawal to and from the channel. To obviate this, I bevel the said inner corners as shown at 38 in Figs. 4 and 6.

The engagement of the neck 34 of the screw with the cylindrical portion 24 of the hole in the clamp plate 23 prevents any tilting of the clamp plate on the head of the screw such as may occur where the hole is tapered throughout its full extent. For this purpose, the cylindrical neck portion 34 of the screw isy preferably somewhat enlarged, as shown in Figs. 2 and .v

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, embodies the saine broad principle of an anchor block expander that extends through the aperture of the clamp plate and is operable from above the same, but diiers in structural details from that above described. In this form of the invention, I employ a pair of opposed anchor blocks 39, between which is a iiat wedge member 40 that is formed with inclined edges 41 that cooperate with the inner walls of the anchor blocks 39, and has a threaded stem or shank 42 that is engaged by a nut 43 screwing thereon and occupying the same kind of aperture in the clamp plate 23 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The wedge member 40 is rotatable between the anchor blocks, between a position wherein it lies lengthwise of the latter and a position wherein it lies crosswise of the latter, this latter position being shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, in which latter position the sides of the wedge block engage transverse stop shoulders 44 on the inner side walls cf the anchor blocks so as to limit the turning of the wedge to correct operative position. When the nut 43-is applied ,Y

to the shank of the wedge and turned down, the friction of the threads will ordinarily turn the wedge 40 into the operative position shown; but in case this should be insuicient to turn the wedge, I provide a kerf 45 in the top of the threaded shank for the application of a screw driver. The nut 43 is also provided with a screw driver kerf 46. In this forni of the invention, when the nut is turned down hard, the wedge 40 is drawn upwardly, thus both expanding the anchor blocks into tight engagement with the walls of the groove and drawing the nut hard down to its seat and bearing in the clamp plate.

Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive, illustrate a slightly modied form ofthe construction last described. In this form of the invention, the anchor blocks 47 are formed with central transverse notches 48 in their lower edges, which 'notches have inclined bottom walls 49. A wedge member 5G occupies the notches 48 and is formed with inclined edges 51 that are slidably engaged with the bottom walls 49 of the notches. The upper end portion ofthe stem or shank 52 of the expander wedge 50 is threaded, as shown at 53, and is engaged by a nut 54. In this construction the anchor blocks 47 and the nut 54 are preferably locked together by means of an eX- ternal shoulder 55 on the lower end of the nut 54 engaged with internal shoulders 56 on the upper edges of the anchor blocks. It will be observed that in this construction the anchor blocks may be collapsed for insertion and withdrawal by merely screwing the wedge member 50 downwardly sufficiently to permit such collapse, the wedge member being at all times engaged with the transverse notches 48, so that it does not have to be preliminarily turned from an inoperative position to an operative position, as in the construction of Figs. '7 to 10, inclusive. The invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from its essential features, and the specification and drawings are to be read as merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense, except as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim: Y

1. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other 'iis izo

at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, and means for expandingY said blocks against the side walls of the channel, saidv expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate.

2. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, and means of the Wedge type for expanding said blocks against the side walls of the channel, said expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate.

3. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an opertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, spring means normally urging said blocks into Contact with the side walls of the base channel, and means for expanding said blocks against said side walls, said expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate.

4. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, thrust springs between and normally urging said blocks into contact with the side walls of the base channel, and means of the wedge type for expanding said blocks against said side walls, said expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate.

5. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks ormed with knurled outer surfaces, and means for expanding said blocks against the side Walls of the channel, said expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate,

6. A printing plate holder` adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks having their inner end corners beveled, and means for expanding said blocks against the side walls of the channel, said expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate.

7. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks formed with knurled outer surfaces and having their inner end corners beveled, and means for expanding said blocks against the side walls or the channel, said expanding means extending through and operable from above the aperture of said clamp plate.

8. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks formed on their inner surfaces with opposed longitudinally tapered threaded transverse grooves, and a screw extending through the aperture of said clamp plate and engaged with said threaded grooves.

9. A printing plate holder adapted for com operation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at theirtop edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks formed on their inner surfaces with opposed transverse grooves the lower portions of which are longitudinally tapered and threaded, and a screw extending through the aperture of said clampY plate formed with a threaded lower end portion engaged with the threaded portions of said grooves.

10. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks formed on their inner surfaces with opposed transverse grooves the lower portions of which are longitudinally tapered and threaded and the upper portions of which are formed with internal shoulders, and a screw extending through the aperture of said clamp plate and formed with a threaded lower end portion engaged with the threaded portions of said grooves, said threaded lower end portion of the screw being locked by said internal shoulders against withdrawal from said anchor blocks.

11. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, a clamp plate having a hole the lower portion of which is cylindrical and the upper portion flared, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, said blocks formed on their inner surfaces with opposed longitudinally tapered threaded transverse grooves, and a screw having a head and neck tting said hole and a threaded lower end portion engaged with the threaded portions of said grooves.

12. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, an expander member between said blocks having a threaded stem extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, and a nut on said stem.

13. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, spring means normally urging said blocks into contact with the side walls of the base channel, an expander member between said blocks having a threaded stem extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, and a nut on said stem.

14. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, an expander wedge formed with opposed inclined edges lying between said blocks and having a threaded stem extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, and a nut on said stem.

15. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, spring means between said blocks normally urging the latter into contact with the side walls of the base channel, a iiat expander wedge formed with opposed inclined edges lying between said blocks and having a threaded stem extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, and a nut on said stem.

16. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising, in combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of the base, a flat expander wedge between said blocks formed with opposed inclined edges, and having a threaded stem extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, a pair of thrust springs between said blocks on opposite sides respectively of said wedge normally spreading said blocks into contact with the side walls of the base channel, and a nut on said stem.

17. A printing plate holder adapted for c0- operation with a channeled base, comprising, in

` combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of said base, said blocks formed with transverse stop shoulders on their inner opposed sides, a iiat expander wedge rotatable between said blocks into and out of engagement with said stop shoulders and formed with opposed inclined edges, said expander wedge having a threaded stern extending combination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of f opposed anchor blocks hinged to each other at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of ,said base, said blocks formed with transverse notches in their lower edges having inclined bottom walls, a flat expander wedge occupying said notches and having inclined edges slidably engaged with the bottom walls of said notches, said expander wedge having a threaded stern extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, and a nut on said stem.

19. A printing plate holder adapted for cooperation with a channeled base, comprising in coinbination, an apertured clamp plate, a pair of opposed anchor blocks hinged to each otherV at their top edges adapted to occupy a channel of said base, said blocks formed with transverse notches in their lower edges having inclined bottorn walls, a flat expander wedge occupying said notches and having inclined edges slidably engaged with the bottom walls of said notches, said expander wedge having a threaded stein extending into the aperture of said clamp plate, and a nut on said stem; said anchor blocks and nut formed with internal and external shoulders respectively co-operating to lock said blocks to said nut.

SIEGMUND J. ROESNER. 

